DIY Birthday Escape Room For Kids
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Are you looking for a unique and exciting birthday party idea that will be the talk of the school playground (for at least a week lol)? Look no further than a DIY birthday escape room for kids! In this blog post, we’ll explore the ins and outs of planning an escape room party, including themes, puzzles, and other fun party details. Escape rooms have become a popular trend in recent years, and for good reason. They are a heck of a lot of fun, and can be enjoyed by people of all ages.
Whether you’re a seasoned escape room enthusiast or totally new to the concept, you’ll have plenty of information you need to create a fun and memorable party for your kids by the end of this post. So If you’re planning a birthday party for kids, why not consider planning your very own diy escape room party?
What is an escape room for kids?
A traditional escape room involves being locked in a themed room and using clues and tools to escape within a time limit, usually about an hour. When I make my games, I don’t lock anyone into a room, but I will include several locked boxes and sometimes a locked door to another gameplay area. Players must work together to solve puzzles and find items to unlock objects and escape!
When planning your own escape room, you can really go to town customising the puzzles to suit your age of players. I love any excuse to host an escape room. It’s a perfect way to celebrate a birthday party, the end of school, a special occasion, a sleepover or just for the fun of them.
How to create your DIY Escape Room
Before you start planning your escape room for kids, consider the age range of the players and any special needs they may have, is anyone colourblind or sensitive to loud sounds? You’ll want to remember these things to make sure your child’s escape room party is epic!
1. Let’s Get Theme-spired! Start planning your escape room for the kiddos. Choose a theme that will thrill and delight! Think about what your audience is into – pirates, superheroes, outer space adventure, or mystery-solving. Once you’ve decided on a theme, the fun begins!
2. Design the Escape Room: With your chosen theme, start by plotting out the puzzles and challenges that will lead to the final goal. Keep it simple, but don’t be afraid to combine activities to make things more exciting. A jigsaw puzzle can become a thrilling adventure when paired with the right tasks. Keep it logical, keep it fun, and get ready to amaze your guests!
For example:
- Write a three-digit code onto a jigsaw puzzle using a UV pen. The number will open a three-digit lock found on the door or a locked box for the final escape reveal.
- Now divide the jigsaw puzzle into three parts, and place each part into a separate box. Each box will have its own individual lock. Choose a different type of lock for each one. Here are a few different types. I also have a blog article on fun locks for your DIY escape room.
- A traditional lock and key
- A numerical lock
- A directional lock
- A colour lock
- Word lock
- Place a blacklight torch inside one of the boxes along with the puzzle pieces; this will enable the players to read the three-digit number written onto the puzzle once they have opened all three boxes and put the jigsaw back together.
- Now you need to create your clues to reveal to players how to open each of the three boxes. This is where you create extra puzzles like word searches, secret coded messages and cyphers. I find working backwards like this makes planning the game a lot easier.
3. Choose your puzzles, clues and secret codes. Here is a list of different ideas to get you started.
- Word searches
- Anagrams
- Rebus
- Logic puzzles
- Mirror image clues
- Morse code
- Braille
- Semaphore
- Pig Pen code – grab a free printable.
- Patterns
- Suduko
- Crosswords
- Dot to dots
- Overlay puzzles
- Colour puzzles
4. Plan the space: Don’t feel like you need to restrict yourself to one room. Often I will use both inside and outside of the house, leading players to different areas to solve different clues. Something similar to a treasure hunt but instead of rhyming clues I have the answer to puzzles leading to different locations or revealing clues.
5. Gather Supplies: Get all of the necessary materials for your escape room puzzles and challenges well in advance of your party. Give yourself plenty of time. There is nothing worse than waiting for a delivery to arrive with a party fast approaching.
6. Set the Scene: Create the ambience for the escape room by adding fun props and decorations that fit with your chosen theme. This can include lighting, and sound effects. Head to youtube and do a quick search for background noises and play them on your TV to create the perfect atmosphere.
7. Create Invitations: Set the tone for the party by creating unique invitations that tie into the theme of the escape room party. If you can incorporate a fun clue or simple to reveal details of the party, that would be a lot of fun.
8. Prepare Refreshments: No party is complete without party food. If you have the time and inclination, you can pimp up your party with themed food and beverages. Pinterest is my go-to place for inspiration.
Grab a ready-made game
Are you ready to host that epic birthday escape room for kids, but don’t have the time or energy to plan it yourself? No worries! I’ve got you covered with my ever-growing selection of escape room games, created over the years for my friends and family and now available on my shop. With over 1400 positive reviews, you know you’re in for a real treat. Let’s make this party unforgettable!
Run through the escape game
So you have your theme, a selection of puzzles, some locks and props. This next part is important. Grab a friend and just run through your escape room plan with them. I find doing this is a great way to spot any potential errors and helps to solidify your game in your own mind. This is so important if you don’t have a chance to set up a dummy run of the game.
My biggest piece of advice is do not overcomplicate your game! Finally, a few well-planned puzzles alongside some fun activities is far better than 10 puzzles that don’t flow together and are overly complicated.
Let’s stay connected!
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Zombie Escape Room
The zombies are on the loose. Will Dr Pepper become a zombie, and will you survive long enough to save the world? Do you have what it takes to find a way to escape before the zombies get you? Try our fab family Zombie escape game!
